Processes are known to remove residue from rubber. Most typically, the rubber is dissolved in a suitable solvent and a physical or chemical process is then used to separate the rubber from the undesirable residue. This type of process is cumbersome, particularly if toxicological concerns exist regarding the solvent, because it requires the handling of a large volume of viscous rubber solution.
Thus, a need exists for a process to remove residue from solid rubber without dissolving the rubber.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process to extract residue from hydrogenated nitrile rubber without substantially dissolving the rubber.